The prior art is already aware of stackers which collect signatures or sheets from a stream and form them into a stack, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,993 wherein the incoming stream of sheets continuously moves, and the stack is supported on rollers which provide some lateral or sidewise displacement of the formed stack. Further, the prior art provides tilted roller supports for lateral movement of the stack which can then be tipped or otherwise moved into a collecting or palletizing process, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,639. Still further, the prior art is also aware of the placement of endboards on opposite ends of a stack, and compressing the stack and then binding the stack, such as shown partly in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,705,084 and 3,739,924.
The present invention improves upon the prior art by automating the stacking of a continuous stream of sheets and positioning the boards at opposite ends of the stack and compressing the stack and then tying or binding the stack with the endboards. This is accomplished by forming and maneuvering the stack on supports, such as rollers, where the stack can be continuously formed and maneuvered, from the initial stacking to the final binding, and with all performed at one location, specifically, right at the stacker itself.
A more specific object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for applying endboards to a stack while the stack is being handled in its initial formation and in its compressing and final binding.